A Cross-sectional Study on Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Kangaroo Mother Care Practices among Nurses in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Background: Newborn deaths account for approximately 40% of all deaths of children under 5 years of age in our country. The three major causes are birth asphyxia, infections, and complications due to prematurity and low birth weight (LBW). One of the cost-effective alternative methods for thermal care and improving survival of LBW infants that is Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC). Till date, information on knowledge, attitude, and practice of KMC among nursing staff in our country remains limited; hence, we conducted this study. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 50 nurses working in the pediatric and OBGY department. The study was carried out over a period of 3 months. Results: In our study, the attitude and practices of the nursing staff were found to be good. However, gaps were observed in the knowledge domain. In contrast, other studies have reported good knowledge and attitude but lower proportions of actual practice. Conclusion: This study concludes that while the nurses demonstrated positive attitudes and good practices, there is a clear scope for improvement in their knowledge.